What The Heart Wants
by HufflePuffPatronus
Summary: A series of drabbles of drabbles depicting what might've happened if two of our favourite British vampire's had gotten together. Rebenzo (Featuring Klaroline, Kalijah and Kennett)
1. Chapter 1

The Birthday Party

 **Summary:** At Klaus' joint birthday celebration, Caroline's unexpected guest becomes a source of irritation for Rebekah.

Caroline stood in the kitchen, preparing appetisers for the guests outside in the garden. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was decorated with streamers and balloons and big Happy Birthday banners strewn across the wall.

This was mostly for the benefit of her and Klaus' son Christopher who

had just turned six the previous Tuesday. Since Klaus' Birthday fell a couple of days after, Caroline thought it best to have one big joint celebration and invite the entire Mikaelson clan, plus all their friends - who we mostly her friends - and make a day of it.

She was in the middle of some meticulous napkin folding when she felt a large warm pair of hands squeezing at her hips.

Klaus lowered his head and nuzzled his face into Caroline's neck, slowly inhaling her scent.

"Klaus I'm busy," she chided as he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her against his front.

"Take a break," he murmured, gently brushing his lips against her neck and placing feather like kisses on the sensitive patch of skin.

"Klaus," she half whined silently cursing as her body betrayed her. Involuntarily, she leant into his touch giving him better access to her neck.

"I need to get these snacks finished. People have to eat something until we get the barbeque fired up," she implored him. He ignored her completely and began to nip at her earlobe.

"Seriously!" she laughed, still only making a half-hearted attempt to wriggle out of his grip.

"You've barely stopped since yesterday sweetheart," he said dropping kisses on her bare shoulders.

Caroline's eyebrows shot up and she spun around to face him.

"Uh yeah, making preparations to make sure _your_ birthday party is perfect," she pointed out folding her arms over her chest.

"Caroline-"

"-And, I could've been done a lot faster had _someone_ not kidnapped me last night and dragged me upstairs before I had a chance to finish," Caroline said stabbing her finger into his chest irritably.

Klaus gave her a wry smile.

"Kidnap is hardly the word I'd use love," he said taking her hand and pressing a kiss into her palm "Not when the other party was such a willing participant," he raised his eyebrows suggestively letting his tongue dart out to wet his full lips, in a deliberate motion.

Caroline scoffed and turned away from him rolling her eyes.

"Oh come now sweetheart," he pouted " It's my birthday, you really ought to be nicer to me,"

He flashed her his best puppy dog eyes which earned him another eye roll. However as he persisted, Caroline was unable to fight down a smile and Klaus seized the opportunity to lean in and kiss her brushing his tongue against her lips in order to gain entrance.

As she reciprocated his lips trailed down from her jaw, back down to her neck where he resumed his ministrations.

Caroline sighed letting her eyes flutter shut.

"I don't see why I should be nice to you. It's not as if you deserve it," she complained.

Klaus smirked mischievously against her neck and let his hands slip under the hem of her sundress to stroke the smooth creamy flesh of her thighs.

"You're being very bad," she pointed out.

"I know," he replied moving down to suck at her pulse point.

"I'm not sure you deserve any presents today," she hummed

He paused and brushed the hair away from her ear.

"I only want the one," he husked bringing his hands around to grip her firm ass squeezing it causing her to shriek.

"Klaus! she giggled as he let out a growl from the back of his throat and continued his assault on her neck.

"You are terrible," she hissed. He only grinned and lifted his head back up to kiss her, this time, more slowly and sensually. She moaned into the kiss, letting all thoughts of napkins and finger food drift out of her head.

"Er, excuse me!?" came a loud British voice, abruptly interrupting the couple "But I do believe that there are children present,"

"Enzo!" Caroline cried breaking apart from Klaus and rushing over to pull her estranged friend into giant a hug.

Klaus let out a frustrated huff and glared reproachfully as they embraced. He'd been married to Caroline nearly eight years now, and though she'd made it perfectly clear, time and time again, that her relationship with Enzo was strictly platonic; he had never been able to get used to the far too intimate relationship - in his opinion - that Caroline shared with him.

But over time he'd come to reluctantly accept that Enzo came as part of a package deal with Caroline. He could learn to put up with him every now and again; it was a small price to pay for his soul mate after all.

"What are you doing here!? You didn't tell me you were coming!" Caroline exclaimed still squeezing the life out of Enzo.

"Caroline, you're choking me,"

"I don't care! I haven't seen you in months you ass," she retorted.

"Easy, Gorgeous," he said finally managing to prise her off of him "I imagine I'm already skating on thin ice with grumpy over there," he said nodding in Klaus direction.

Klaus plastered on a faux smile which looked a lot more like him barring his teeth.

"Lorenzo," he drawled "What a... _unexpected_ surprise,".

The fact that Klaus wasn't thrilled to see him was evident in his tone and Caroline shot him a warning look as she strode over to the refrigerator.

"Well you know how it is, I couldn't leave all of you missing me for too long," he said, an amused smile playing on his lips.

This time, it was Klaus' turn to roll his eyes.

"The last time we talked you said you were in the middle of Australia," Caroline said pulling the cake out of the fridge. As she did Klaus stepped forward to take it from her and placed it on the surface.

"You didn't think I would miss my Godson's birthday party did you?" he said holding up the blue gift bag in his hands.

"Still, that's a long way to travel-"

"-It was completely worth the 14 hours on the plane I assure you," he beamed handing Caroline the gift.

"Well we're glad you're here, aren't we?" she shot over her shoulder at Klaus who made a grunting noise and gave Enzo a half-hearted smile, knowing better than to open his mouth and say anything else.

"Now that you're here," Caroline continued choosing to ignore Klaus' pouting "You can help me with the snacks,"

Enzo's face fell and he quickly made a big show of checking his watch.

"You know I'd love to gorgeous, but I've just realised I have another engagement to run off to, terribly sorry," he explained, not looking the least bit apologetic.

"Oh come on mate, you've only just got here," Klaus said, looking pleased with himself as Enzo shot him a look in return.

"Nice try," Caroline said dryly "Grab a knife,"

Enzo looked as if he were about to protest, but he didn't get the chance as a shrill voice interrupted him.

"Any chance of some bloody food?" Rebekah demanded her 7-inch heels clicking sharply against the floor and she barged into the kitchen "We're all starving out here," she said giving Caroline a pointed look.

"I'm sorry, Rebekah. But I don't know who decided to elect you as spokesperson for the party guests, but you're going to have to go back and tell the rest of your _union_ , that the food will be brought out when it's ready," Caroline replied firmly, flashing her sister in law a saccharine smile.

"Well _excuse me_ , but I'm starving, I haven't eaten since-" Rebekah paused, her mouth falling open. Momentarily, she appeared to be rooted on the spot.

Neither Klaus or Caroline to noticed Rebekah's change in behavior. Caroline had turned her back on her and gone back to preparing the food and Klaus were currently rooting around in the drawer for some candles.

"Hello Rebekah," Enzo said grinning in the stunned woman's direction "It's good to see you again,"

There was a slight hint of suggestion in his voice that you wouldn't have picked up unless you were being very observant.

But Rebekah seemed to catch on to what he was saying perfectly well and her face turned the shade of a beetroot.

Enzo looked as if her were enjoying her reaction immensely and shamelessly took the opportunity to let his eyes rake down her frame. From her golden blonde locks, perfectly braided into a fish plait to her tanned shapely legs sticking out from under her skirt.

"Rebekah do you think you could be useful and take these glasses outside please?" Caroline asked gesturing to the tray of glasses on the counter without looking up from what she was doing.

"What are you doing here?" Rebekah demanded in a low voice trying desperately to keep her voice even so as not to betray her exasperation.

"I just thought I'd stop by and see everyone," Enzo shrugged "And maybe uh… catch up on old times," he smirked making Rebekah's face turn even redder. He stepped toward her slightly and she in turn took a large step back, glaring at him as if she was frightened of proximity between them

"Rebekah!? Uh _hello_ , the glasses?" Caroline said whipping around looking expectantly at her.

Rebekah seemed to snap out of whatever trance and answered her back.

"Do I look like the maid to you!?" she bit out before storming out of the kitchen in the same way she had entered.

Caroline turned to share a confused expression with Klaus.

"What's the matter with her?" she asked.

Klaus shrugged.

"Far be it from me to attempt at understanding my sister's various mood swings," he said uninterestedly.

Caroline turned and shot Enzo a suspicious look, who in turn just offered her a similar shrug.

"I must have a particular effect on Mikaelson's," he quipped.

"Enzo you handsome bastard," came yet _another_ British accent drifting toward the kitchen.

Caroline turned to see Kol standing in the doorway smiling broadly in Enzo's direction.

"Well except one Mikaelson that is," he said returning Kol's smile.

They moved forward to embrace each other then Kol eventually pulled them apart to give Enzo an incredulous stare.

"When the hell did you get here?" he asked grabbing Enzo by the shoulder.

"Tell you what mate, let's sit down and I'll tell you all about it. I'm jet-lagged," he suggested throwing his own arm over Kol's shoulder.

"Got any booze around here?" Enzo asked as they strolled out of the kitchen.

"It's a children's party Enzo," he paused and smirked "Of course there's alcohol.


	2. The Birthday Party Part 2

**A/N:** Thank you for the overwhelmingly nice responses to the first instalment of 'The Birthday Party'; here is part 2.

"So," Kol began, taking the cap of his beer bottle. "How are things down under?"

He uncapped Enzo's bottle and handed it to him.

"Not bad, but there's no place like home," he clinked the top of his bottle against Kol's, and took a swig.

"Mm, and how are things _down under_ ," asked, suggestively "Any pretty young things catch your eye?"

"One or two," Enzo murmured absentmindedly. His eyes drifted toward where Rebekah stood on the other side of the garden.

When she looked up and saw him she immediately turned to look in the other direction.

 _Christmas, 2015_

 _Enzo wandered into the kitchen and dipped his finger into a bowl of cranberry sauce on the counter._

" _Enzo! That's supposed to be for dinner!" Caroline exclaimed swatting at his hand._

" _Sorry gorgeous," he replied with a completely unapologetic smirk on his face._

 _Caroline rolled her eyes._

" _Hey make yourself useful and take some more wine out of the fridge. I'm pretty sure Rebekah's determined to drain the bottle I already put out,"_

 _Enzo reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Pinot._

" _What's the matter with her anyway?" Enzo asked, jerking his head toward the door._

 _Caroline came closer and lowered her voice._

" _She was planning to bring a date tonight so he could meet her family. Apparently, he just called and stood her up," she said._

" _What a prick" Enzo murmured._

" _Yeah, she's pretty upset about it,"_

 _Suddenly there was the sound of something smashing in the foyer._

 _Caroline's eyes widened and looked to Enzo who just gave her a confused shrug and._

" _Klaus! That better not have been my Christmas ornaments!?" Caroline yelled._

" _It's under control sweetheart," he replied, just as the sound of something else breaking resounded through the house._

" _Sorry, that was my fault," Kol called out._

 _Caroline let out a frustrated sigh and stormed out of the kitchen murmuring about having to do everything herself._

 _Deciding not to stick around for whatever fit Caroline was about to throw, Enzo decided to make his escape_

 _into the living room._

 _He walked in to find a very depressed looking Rebekah slumped down on the couch. Swirling a straw around in her drink._

" _Mind if I join you love?" He asked, moving to settle next to her._

 _Rebekah gave an unbothered wave of her hand and took a sip of her drink._

" _I heard you've unfortunately been stood up?" Enzo asked._

" _What's it to you?" she snarled._

" _Do you remember me? I was at Caroline's last barbeque I'm-"_

" _-Yes, yes I remember," she interjected "Caroline's little sidekick,"_

" _Well I'd hardly used the word sidekick," he murmured. "-Or little for that matter…"_

 _Rebekah sighed and let her head fall back against the couch._

" _Look at me, sodding alone at Christmas; surrounded by my idiot's brothers; Caroline; that gold digging, she-devil, trollop that Elijah married; and you. Some Christmas this turned out to be,"_

 _There was a small pause and Rebekah reached to have another sip of her drink._

 _Enzo thought for a moment and then said._

" _If it's any consolation, this guy - whoever he is - is obviously a complete wanker," he stated._

 _Rebekah sniffed._

" _How do you figure that? You don't even know him,"_

" _I don't need to," he replied "All I know is that he was stupid enough to blow off someone as stunning as you,"_

 _Rebekah turned to look at him taken aback and momentarily speechless._

" _If you asked me you dodged a bullet. Don't want to be slumming it with an idiot now do we?" Enzo said, leaning back and stretching his arms out to rest against the top of the chair._

 _Rebekah regarded him suspiciously for a moment and then bit down on her lip spoke._

" _Lorenzo was it?"_

" _The one and only," he smirked._

" _It's rude to leave a lady drinking by herself you know," she prompted, a hint of a smile appearing on her face._

 _Enzo grinned back and rose from his seat._

" _I'll get another glass,"_

 _Present Day_

Enzo was abruptly shaken from his thoughts, at the feeling of a small six year-old's body, colliding with his; almost completely knocking the wind out of him.

"Uncle Enzo! Uncle Enzo! You're here!" Christopher exclaimed excitedly, his little arms still locking around Enzo's waist.

"Hello mate," he replied stooping down to ruffle his hair.

"How've you been doing? Causing lots of trouble for mum I hope?" he joked, laughing when Christopher nodded enthusiastically.

"Blimey look at you! You're nearly taller than me, what are they feeding you?" he asked.

Christopher frowned.

"Mommy keeps making me eat veggies. She said they're good for me and they help me grow, but they taste nasty," he said, scrunching up his face.

Enzo threw his head back and laughed again along with Kol.

That's what he liked about children.

 _Unreservedly honest._

"It's my birthday today, Uncle Enzo! Did you get me anything?"

 _And apparently blunt and straight down to the point too._

"Christopher," Caroline called, stepping out onto the patio holding some plates. "That's not very polite. We don't just go around demanding gifts from people,"

"Sorry," he lisped, flashing his mother his big apologetic eyes.

"But _did you_?" he whispered to Enzo.

"I might've done," Enzo said vaguely, grinning down at his nephew.

"You'll just have to wait and see,"

Christopher's face fell and he huffed disappointedly.

"But between you and me, If I have gotten you something, it's probably a pretty awesome gift," he said, winking at him.

Christopher beamed at him, showing off the two prominent dimples in his cheeks.

"Go on get out of here," Enzo grinned, patting him affectionately on the head.

"And I want a large piece of that cake if I'm giving away any presents today!" he called after him.

"OKAY!" Christopher yelled over his shoulder.

Enzo laughed, standing up and returning to his conversation with Kol.

Meanwhile, Rebekah stood by the barbeque, watching the whole scene and glaring in Enzo's direction.

"What's he even doing here?" she asked, bitterly,

Katherine, who was the only other person standing there, glanced around to see if there was someone else that Rebekah was talking to. Since Katherine and her sister in law, maintained a strict 'lets only speak when necessary' policy at all times.

"Who Enzo?" she asked.

Rebekah nodded.

"Well according to Kol, he's been in Australia for God knows how long, taking selfies with koala's or something," Katherine said, boredly examining her nails.

"But you know how it is, Caroline only has to bat her eyelashes at him and he comes running from halfway across the world,"

Taking a sip of her drink, Katherine eyed Rebekah with interest.

"What's got you so worked up about it, anyway?" she asked, curiously.

"Nothing!" Rebekah shot back immediately. "I don't care! Wh- why would I be upset?!"

When Katherine gave her a face that said she clearly didn't believe a word she was saying; Rebekah shot her a filthy look in return.

"What!? Why don't you just mind your own bloody business Petrova!?" she hissed storming away from her.

Katherine just smiled and sipped her wine. Counting it as a victory that she managed so effortlessly to get Rebekah worked up.

Caroline gasped as she was thrown up against the wall of the storage closet. Klaus pinned one her hands up on either side of her head and ran kisses up her neck. While his skilful hands moved between her thighs.

She had just been walking through the house minding her own business (looking for him actually) when a mysterious arm appeared out the closet and dragged her in.

Before she could scream or protest a familiar pair of lips were covering hers, while his hands began roaming her body.

She should've stopped him ages ago. But he just had a way of _kissing her_ , so that every coherent thought just disappeared from her head.

Eventually, she mustered the resolve to push him of off her. He stepped back reluctantly with a disappointed look on his face.

"Sweetheart-"

"No birthday boy. You can't keep distracting me! I have a party to throw," she huffed.

"I think the guests won't miss us for a couple of minutes love," he insisted.

"That's not the point! We have to go start up the barbeque and put the candles on the cake so we can sing 'Happy Birthday', and eat,"

"I was just planning on _eating_ , actually," Klaus grinned, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"That is not what I meant and you know it!" Caroline snapped.

Klaus pouted and flashed her that look again.

"Look if you keep attacking me, you'll ruin the surprise," she said pointedly.

"And what's that love?" Klaus asked, his brows knitting in confusion.

A devious smile spread on Caroline's face and slowly she took down the straps on her sundress revealing the red lace bra she was wearing underneath.

Klaus stared hungrily at her, admiring the way the lace was practically painted on her skin before stepping toward her again.

Quickly she stepped away from him and looped the straps back over her shoulders.

"Later I promise," she said, tip-toeing to press a short kiss against his lip, before turning to walk out.

"Tease," she heard him growl.

She laughed as she slipped back out into the hall.

A couple of minutes later, the whole family stood around a very proud Christopher, who was wrapped up in his father's arms beaming, as everybody sang 'Happy Birthday' to him.

"Make a wish sweetie," Caroline cooed, blowing her son a kiss.

"It's your birthday too," Christopher said turning to his dad. "Help me blow them out?"

"Of course son," he smiled. "Take a deep breath mate,"

Together both of them blew all out all of the candles causing everyone else to break out in cheers and clapping.

Suddenly there was a bright flash and the person behind the camera yelled. ' _Smile!_ '

Klaus looked up to glare reproachfully at the perpetrator who so happened to be Bonnie.

"Hey!" she exclaimed throwing up her hands. "It's not my fault, Caroline put me on photographer duty!"

"Take another Aunt Bonnie," Christopher said, showing off his rows of pearly white baby teeth.

"I wasn't ready the first time!" he exclaimed.

Bonnie laughed and stooped down to get another photo.

"Smile daddy," Christopher prompted, nudging his father in the chest with his elbow.

Klaus sighed reluctantly, but as Christopher turned and flashed him pleading eyes he relaxed and gave a genuine smile as Bonnie snapped the picture.

While they posed, Caroline ducked into the kitchen to retrieve a knife to cut the cake with.

She didn't notice Enzo propped up against the doorframe as she swiped tears from her eyes.

"You are a right softie Caroline," Enzo said teasingly, making her jump.

"Shut up!" She exclaimed. "It's not every day your baby turns six for the first time,"

He walked forward and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"You know I'm happy for you. That you've got everything you wanted, a career, beautiful house, a family" Enzo said, smiling fondly at her.

"You'll have it too one day," Caroline smiled.

Enzo nodded rolling his eyes.

"We'll see," he smiled.

Caroline leant forward and pressed a kiss and into his cheek and brushed the lip gloss stain off his cheek with an affectionate swipe of her thumb.

"Are you coming outside to get some cake?" she asked.

"In a second Gorgeous," he promised.

Caroline smiled and nodded, turning to leave the kitchen.

"Okay! Who wants cake?!" Caroline called out.

"Wait!" Christopher cried. "You forgot to ask me how old I am,"

Caroline sighed.

"We just sang to you Chris,"

"Pleeeeease," he whined. "It's fun when you do the counting thing,"

"Alright mister, only cus it's your Birthday,"

On Caroline's count, all the guests broke into a chorus of 'How Old Are You Now?'.

"1

2

3

4

5…"

 _New Year's Eve, 2015_

" _5!_

 _4!_

 _3!_

 _2!_

 _1!_

 _Happy New Year!"_

 _All around the world people broke into cheers and looked around for someone to kiss or hug._

 _However in the guest bedroom of Katherine & Elijah's apartment, a couple celebrated the new year in a slightly less traditional way._

 _Enzo moaned into Rebekah's mouth as she pulled him against her. Running her fingers through his brown locks._

 _He peppered kisses down her neck and moved to pull off her jacket._

" _Are you… sure this is… what you want," he panted._

 _She grabbed him and pulled him in for another searing kiss._

" _Definitely,"_

 _Initially, Rebekah hadn't planned for the evening to take that particular turn._

 _At first, her plan had been to avoid Enzo like the plague._

 _After her rather dodgy behaviour at Christmas, she hoped it would be a very long time before she'd ever have to see him again._

 _Fate, however, had other plans._

 _She had wandered into the kitchen to fix herself a drink; nothing too strong this time._

 _When she spotted him in the corner chatting with an attractive brunette, in a pink sequined dress. She was laughing loudly and obnoxiously at what he was saying and her her hand stroked his bicep, idly._

 _She didn't know why, but Rebekah felt a pang of jealousy watching them._

 _That's what made her decide to top up her cranberry juice with some vodka._

 _She poured her drink and closed the fridge._

 _Only to turn around and come face to face with Enzo._

" _Thought it was you," he said."But then again I'd know those magnificent legs anywhere," he smirked._

" _What do you want Lorenzo?"_

" _Only to say hello and see how you are?"_

" _I'm fine," she said stiffly. "Why wouldn't I be?"_

 _Enzo hesitated._

" _Well, the last time I saw you were… slightly… inebriated…" he trailed off._

 _Rebekah huffed indignantly._

" _Come to have a good laugh about it have you?" she snapped._

" _No.," he said firmly. "I'm showing genuine concern here love. I know all about getting unfortunate hangovers and vomiting after a booze-up,"_

 _Rebekah winced._

" _What exactly happened… at Christmas I mean?"_

" _Well, we were having a lovely time. Then I realised you may have had one drink too many. So I offered to take you home; except you refused to use the front door. And begged me not to let your brothers find out that you'd got so plastered so I let Caroline know we were leaving - And don't worry I swore her to secrecy - and then I drove you home," Enzo explained. "I promise I was a perfect gentleman,"_

" _Thank you," she replied, sheepishly. "I know you probably had better plans for how to spend your Christmas then dealing with some sad drunk girl,"_

" _Not at all. In fact, it was rather entertaining actually,"_

" _...You have a lovely singing voice," he added._

 _Rebekah's eyes widened and Enzo gave her wide dimpled smile._

" _You're a smug git," she growled, glaring at him._

" _Sorry… sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's just your rendition of that song from frozen nearly had me in tears," he chuckled._

" _You're skating on thin ice," Rebekah said, whacking him on the arm._

" _I'm glad I ran into you tonight. You look incredible," he said eyeing her. "If you don't mind me saying,"_

 _A small blush crept onto Rebekah's face._

" _Let's have another drink together shall we?" Enzo proposed._

 _She thought for a moment._

" _Alright. Although I'll try not to get quite as drunk this time,"_

 _They'd talked and laughed for what seemed like ages._

 _They didn't know if it was the buzz of New Year or the champagne but one thing quickly led to another…_

 _As Rebekah reached for the hem of his shirt, Enzo helped her out by lifting it off completely._

 _She pushed him by his shoulders down on the bed and shimmied out of her cocktail dress; revealing her lacy green undergarments._

 _Enzo's eyes raked over her exposed skin hungrily._

" _Right, it's time to see if you can put your money where your mouth is," Rebekah challenged._

" _Ready when you are love,"_

 _Present Day_

While the festivities carried on outside, Enzo sat quietly in the kitchen, pouring himself a drink.

The kitchen door swung open and Enzo immediately perked up as Rebekah walked in.

When she eventually noticed him, her face fell and she turned to leave.

"Just a moment," Enzo called out. "Rebekah, come on love you can't avoid me forever!"

Rebekah turned and scoffed.

"You clearly don't know me,"

Enzo flashed her that same handsome smile he'd given her on New Years Eve.

"I'd like to," he replied.

"You could've fooled me!" she shot back.

"You've lost me?" he frowned.

"Forgotten so quickly? Wow, don't you know how to make a girl feel special, " she huffed, barging past him.

"Wait, please?" He asked, gently grabbing her arm to stop her.

"At least give me a chance to apologise,"

She let out a loud sigh.

"New years eve, we slept together. _I thought_ , stupidly, that you liked me. But I woke up the next day, _in my brother's guest room_ , completely alone. You didn't even leave your number,"

Enzo shut his eyes and exhaled.

"Bloody hell I'm an idiot,"

"Yes. You are," she said bluntly. "So you can understand why I'm not exactly thrilled to see you,"

"I'm sorry. Believe me, I am; I can explain, it's just… a lot more complicated than it seems," he explained.

Rebekah raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Its just… you know what. Never mind.." he trailed off.

"Hold on. I think after all this time you owe me some kind of explanation," she demanded.

Enzo sighed

"Look you don't know me all that well but I don't do too well with romantic relationships,"

"Well that makes two of us," she snorted, folding her arms.

"I've been in this position before, I wear my heart on my sleeve you see; I have one night stands; I end up getting far more attached than the other person and end up getting hurt,"

"I like you Rebekah but I was afraid, so I ran. I see now it was a mistake, I'm sorry I hurt you,"

Rebekah was silent and stared him out for a moment.

"Well if you're genuinely sorry, I can forgive you,"

Enzo breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a small smile.

Rebekah turned to leave again.

"Just out of interest-" he called out.

"-If I had stayed, would you have gone out with me?"

Rebekah stopped and gave him an accessing look.

"That depends on, what would you have said if you had asked?"

"Well if I were less of a prick," he began, making Rebekah smile. "I would' be stayed till morning and woken up next to a complete goddess and asked her very nicely if she'd do me the honour of going out on a date,"

"And if I said no?" She asked.

He smirked, stepping forward; his eyes darkening.

"Well then I'd spend the entire morning convincing you to see things from my perspective," he husked.

Rebekah let a coy smile play on her lips as she stepped toward him.

"Well, perhaps you should ask me again…"

He grinned.

"Rebekah Mikaelson, you magnificent, gorgeous woman; would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked.

"Hmm alright, I suppose I could give you another chance," she hummed, softly.

At this point, they had closed what little space stood between them and they were now dangerously close to one another.

"Are you sure?" He murmured. "Positive you don't want me to do the 'convincing you' part, anyway?"

Rebekah smiled and leant in so that her lips nearly brushed against his.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later," she whispered.

Then, as their lips were about to touch she spun on her heel and strutted out.

Enzo touched his lips where Rebekah's had ghosted against them.

 _Thank God for Caroline's parties._


	3. Three's Company

"Are you… cleaning?"

.Caroline stood in the doorway, watching as Enzo scurried around their shared apartment, attempting to rectify its appearance.

"Well it's mess, love. I mean look at this place" he said, exasperatedly, bending to fluff a pillow.

Caroline gaped at him.

"Uh, I know! The reason why you're so _appalled_ by the condition of this house, is because usually _I'm_ the one who keeps it so tidy and spend most of my time running around behind _you_!"

Enzo shot her a sheepish look and continued his frantic tidying.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned with keeping the place clean?" she asked, squinting skeptically at him.

"I have a...friendcomingover…" he muttered, with his back turned to her.

"You have a what?" she questioned.

"I have a friend coming over if you must know," he said, indignantly.

Caroline arched her eyebrows.

"Like who?!"

Enzo shot her an offended look.

"I do have friends outside of you y'know,"

Caroline scoffed and threw her bag down.

"So who is she anyway?" she asked, casually.

Enzo jumped in shock.

"Who?"

"The girl you're trying to impress," she said, bluntly.

"Who says there's a girl…" he replied, vaguely.

Caroline gave him her best 'You're not fooling anyone' face and Enzo sighed and relented.

"She and I take history together, she's just coming over here so we can study with me." he began, hesitantly.

"Yeah well, I hope so, the walls are pretty thin in this place and I have an English essay to do" Caroline, said dryly.

"So," she said turning to face him. "Does this mystery woman have a name?"

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Lorenzo?" a feminine, British voice called out.

Caroline whipped around and gave Enzo an incredulous look.

"Rebekah!?" Caroline hissed.

Enzo gave her a wide eyed apologetic look and glanced between her and the door.

Caroline and Rebekah weren't exactly the best of friends. They had previously gone head to head to be captain of their college's varsity squad and Rebekah didn't take to kindly to losing to her and since then they'd been on less than friendly terms, Rebekah never missed an opportunity to one up her whenever she could.

"When were you planning on telling me Enzo!?"

He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"Look, do you think you could just be civil? For my sake at least,"

The was another impatient knock at the door.

"Hello?!"

"Just a minute love," he called out.

"Play nice," he whispered. "Claws away gorgeous".

Caroline pouted and glared at him.

Enzo came to the door and pulled it open.

Rebekah stepped in a blue dress and tall wedges that accentuated her long toned legs.

Enzo indulgently drank in the sight of her; grinning like a child at Christmas and Rebekah returned it, smiling more enthusiastically than Caroline had ever seen, for as long as she'd known her.

"Hey," Rebekah said, softly.

"Hey," Enzo returned.

For a moment the couple just stood silently, exchanging heated looks.

When it got simply too uncomfortable for her to bear, Caroline coughed loudly.

Rebekah' eyes widened in alarm. She stepped past Enzo and her mouth fell open in shock, upon seeing Caroline standing in the living room.

"What the bloody hell is she doing here?!" she said, turning to Enzo, for an explanation.

"Uh yeah, sweetheart, about that-" he started.

"Hello!?" Caroline exclaimed. "I'm standing right here!"

"Yes, we've established that." Rebekah snapped venomously. "The question at hand is why, exactly?!"

"Rebekah, Caroline is my roommate," Enzo mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"And when were you planning on telling me that!?" she demanded.

Enzo opened his mouth but Caroline cut him off.

"Probably around the same time he was planning on telling me you were coming," she said shooting Rebekah a saccharine smile.

Rebekah turned on him.

"What the bloody hell, Lorenzo!?-"

"Alright, alright. Why don't we all just calm down and start using our inside voices," Enzo implored.

"Now, Rebekah and I have to study and _you,_ have an essay to do, if I'm not mistaken." he said, gesturing to Caroline.

"So why don't we all just… y'know, get on with it," he said looking between them.

Both women huffed reluctantly but said nothing more to each other.

"I need to use the ladies. Which way?" Rebekah asked.

"Third door on the left," Enzo replied, pointing to the hallway.

"How long is she staying here!?" Caroline hissed, as soon as Rebekah was out of earshot.

"For as long as it takes us to get through the notes" Enzo answered.

"Yeah, well study fast. She's already starting to get on my nerves," Caroline complained.

"I heard that!" Rebekah yelled.

"Well I wasn't whispering!" Caroline shot back.

She turned on her heel and stormed into her room.

Enzo rubbed his temples and groaned.

"You are an excellent teacher,"

Caroline rolled her eyes, as she listened to Rebekah gush over Enzo, from her spot in the kitchen.

As she poured out a bowl of oreos, she heard Enzo chuckle and brush off the compliment.

"Seriously, I'm only taking this God-awful class to get my parents of my back for majoring in English. But you make it seem so easy," Rebekah smiled.

She had no way of knowing but Caroline was sure Rebekah was probably batting her eyelashes and making all kinds of bedroom eyes at Enzo.

And he was just putty in her hands.

"Well it does help that you're a particularly good student," he replied, smirking.

"Well I can be a bad student too, if you'd like," she purred suggestively. Leaning in and stroking his bicep.

Before she could stop herself Caroline started making a very loud gagging sound; drawing the couple's attention toward the kitchen.

"I'm gonna get us both something to drink," Enzo said giving Rebekah an apologetic smile and rising from the couch.

Caroline did her best to avoid Enzo's gaze as he entered the kitchen.

"Really Gorgeous? Was that necessary?"

"What!?" she protested. "You guys need to get a room, preferably in another house."

Enzo grinned.

"Do you think she likes me?" he asked, eagerly.

"Are you kidding me? It's not as if she could make it anymore obvious," Caroline scoffed.

"Oh don't look so pleased with yourself," she grumbled, seeing Enzo's smug expression.

"I thought you were studying," he pointed out.

"The essay was kicking my ass, so I decided I deserved a treat," she said holding up the bowl.

"Mmm, don't mind if I do," Enzo said snatching an oreo.

"Hey! Hands off!"

"Oi! You gotta learn to share, love,"

"I'm an only child remember?"

"I thought you said that only children being spoilt was just a myth?" he retorted.

"Just… get your own!" she said, exasperatedly.

He reached around her to steal another one and she grab his hand and smacked it.

"Ow! Bloody hell!"

"Good, that'll teach you,"

"I'm serious, Caroline you've wounded me," he stated, feigning a hurt expression.

"Aw poor baby," Caroline mocked.

"Oh you think that's funny?"

She nodded giggling.

" _Right_ ," he growled and began to tickle her.

She squealed and tried desperately to wriggle out of his grip. "Enzo… nooo...stoop! Oh my gosh… I'm sorry!""

"Am I interrupting something," came a voice, abruptly from the doorway.

They turned see Rebekah staring at them intently.

"Sorry love I've kept you waiting long enough for that drink-" Enzo started.

"No actually I was just about to leave," Rebekah said.f

"What?"

"Yeah I came in to tell you. I just remembered i have to be somewhere" she said vaguely.

"Oh.. well I'll walk you out then -"

"No really, Lorenzo, it's fine," she dismissed him and left without another word.

As Rebekah left Enzo gazed forlornly after her.

The slamming of the front door, was the thing that eventually shook Enzo from his trance.

"What was that all about!?" Caroline asked.

"I have no idea…" Enzo murmured.

"Hey, are you okay?" Caroline asked, seeing the look on his face.

Enzo nodded despondently.

"Listen, Rebekah has like a bajillion siblings. I'm sure her taking off so quickly is due to some crazy family emergency," she assured him.

Enzo nodded again and sighed.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Hey do you wanna hang out tonight and watch a movie on the couch? No chick flicks, I promise; I'll even let you pick?" Caroline offered.

"I'd love to, Gorgeous but I'm not really in the mood for it tonight. I think I'll head off to bed."

"Okay, if you're sure? Good night,"

"Night Caroline," Enzo sighed.

Enzo left the room, pulling the kitchen door shut behind him and Caroline looked down at her bowl of cream filled cookies and suddenly she didn't feel so hungry anymore.

"Hey! Rebekah, wait up!?" Caroline darted across campus, in pursuit of the blonde in front of her.

"What do you want Caroline? I'm busy and I need to be somewhere," Rebekah huffed irritably.

"Rebekah I know. You're going to English, we're in the same class!?"

Rebekah sighed impatiently at her and kept walking.

"Look please just stop, okay!? For two seconds, please,"

Rebekah halted her movements and regarded Caroline expectantly.

"It's about Enzo," Caroline began.

"Oh? Is there something wrong?"

Rebekah tried to keep her voice casual, but the brief look of concern on her face when Caroline had mentioned Enzo, betrayed her.

"It's been two days and he's barely gotten off of the couch. He's pretty upset that you won't return any of his calls," Caroline explained.

"Did he tell you that?" Rebekah asked, beginning to sound vaguely interested.

"Not exactly but I know Enzo, we're pretty close -"

"-Yes I noticed…" Rebekah said dryly.

"- and he's just not himself lately- Wait what!?"

"What do you mean you 'noticed'?" Caroline asked.

"How spectacularly close you and Lorenzo are," Rebekah replied, bitterly.

"What?"

"Well, you've gotten what you wanted. I won't be in your way anymore,"

"Rebekah what the hell are you talking about!?"

"Oh please, Caroline! Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you,"

"I saw you and Lorenzo together, there's obviously something going on between you and-"

Rebekah was cut off by the loud spluttering sound, Caroline made.

"What's so funny?" Rebekah demanded.

"I'm sorry- It's just that - you- you think that- me!? And Enzo!"

Caroline wiped the tears from her eyes and continued.

"Enzo's my friend and my roommate, nothing more," Caroline insisted.

"But I saw you two in the kitchen?"

"Rebekah anything happening between me and Enzo would be like dating my brother. Didn't you and your brothers ever play around when you were kids?" Caroline asked

"Well Elijah and Finn were practically born in grey suits and Klaus and Kol dedicated our entire childhood to tormenting me," she said "So it would have to be a no on that one," Rebekah finished.

"I love Enzo but never in a million years would anything happen between us. Please just call him, I know you like each other and Enzo's a good guy." Caroline pleaded.

"Think about it," she said, before dodging past Rebekah to get to the lecture theatre leaving Rebekah standing on the spot with a pensive look on her face.

"Stupid, over the top, American, soap opera…" Enzo grumbled as he sat on the couch and stuffed another oreo in his mouth.

" _I love you Seth,"_ the girl on the TV show sighed, as her and her partner leant in for a tender embrace.

" _Liar_ ," Enzo grumbled.

He tore his attention from the screen as the door knocked.

"Forgot your keys again Caroline?" he called out.

"Actually it's me," said a familiar voice.

Enzo lept up in shock. Panicking even more when he noticed his appearance in a nearby mirror.

"Lorenzo? Can I come in?"

"Just a second!" he shouted, darting into his bedroom.

In half a minute he emerged in a new shirt and with considerably less crumbs around his mouth.

"Hi," Rebekah said, stepping inside. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Uh no, I was just- uh doing some push ups… hence the sweat pants,"

Rebekah nodded and smiled.

"So did you deal with your family emergency?"

"Beg pardon?" she replied, confused.

"Well, Caroline was certain that was the reason you rushed out on me, so quickly the other day" he said not meeting her gaze.

Rebekah flushed.

"I'm sorry I did that. The truth is that I've been an idiot. I thought there was something going on with you and Caroline, so I-"

Enzo let out a hearty chuckle.

"I'm sorry, you're telling me that you were jealous because of Caroline?!" he said incredulously.

"I wouldn't say jealous…" she mumbled. "Momentarily deterred, is a better phrase,"

"Caroline's like my sister, I love her but there's absolutely no way," he explained.

Rebekah nodded again.

"I know, I see that now, I'm sorry for being so stupid," she said.

"You're not stupid." Enzo said softly. "You're perfect,"

She smiled at him.

"You think so?"

"Undoubtedly,"

"Well how can I argue with that logic then," she beamed.

He returned her smile and stepped forward to give her a gentle kiss, to which she responded to enthusiastically.


	4. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Part 1

"So let's see if I have this straight,"

"Freya is the oldest? The long lost sister. The one who had to live with your aunt when you were growing up?"

"Mhmm," Rebekah nodded as she sat at her vanity, preening.

"Finn is the boring one…?"

0

Rebekah nodded rolling her eyes at the very thought of him.

"He's married to the redhead one. Has about a million kids and… what exactly does he do again?" Enzo asked, absentmindedly tapping away on his phone.

"It hardly matters," she scoffed. "Just pray you're never left alone in a room with him."

"Next, Elijah; lawyer, slightly self-righteous, wears a lot of suits," he continued "-and married… to Katherine, if I'm not mistaken?" Enzo questioned, looking up for confirmation.

"Yes, unfortunately, that money-grabbing, she-devil, is my brother's wife, " Rebekah sneered in contempt.

"Then of course then there's your dear brother Klaus. Who is, of course, my biggest fan," Enzo said dryly.

Rebekah sighed.

"Try to pay my darling brother no mind. _I love you_ and that's the only thing that's important. Besides-" she said leaning closer to the mirror to apply her lipstick. "-I wouldn't worry too much about Niklaus this year. I'm quite certain Caroline's got him tied up by his balls on a very, _very_ short leash," she added, tittering quietly to herself.

Enzo gave a hint of a smile.

"Well I suppose it will be nice to have Caroline around for a little moral support when I meet the rest of your family," Enzo hummed thoughtfully. "Speaking of, your brother says he can make it to dinner after all,"

Rebekah whipped around and gave him an incredulous look.

"Kol!?"

Enzo nodded.

"When?!"

Enzo held up his phone.

"Just now,"

When Rebekah still looked confused he continued.

"Who did you think I'd been texting all this time?" he asked.

Rebekah's mouth tightened until it was the same size as a small penny.

"I've been calling my brother non-stop for the better part of 3 weeks and the only way I get a response from him is via a text message - addressed to you!?"

Enzo gave her a wide-eyed looked and shrugged.

She let out an irritated huff and turned back to her mirror.

"You and my brother are far too close." she remarked, picking up her mascara.

Enzo let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Anyone else would be happy? You know that I'm at least I'm bonding with one of your siblings, now," he pointed out.

"Yes, and out of the five of them you just _had_ to pick Kol," she griped.

"Come now love," he smirked, wandering over to her. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were jealous,"

Rebekah snorted in a very unladylike fashion.

"I'm not jealous of that half-brained prick,"

"Now that's not very nice is it?" he mock-scolded her, moving to drop a kiss on her bare shoulder.

She scowled at him in the mirror and shrugged him off.

"If you love my brother so much, perhaps you should be dating _him_ instead of me," she hissed getting up and stalking toward the bathroom.

"It's not a half bad idea," he murmured. "He's a lot nicer to me,"

"I heard that!" she called out.

Enzo chuckled and bent down to plug his phone into the socket.

"Put your shirt on, we're leaving soon. Elijah's expecting us at eight," Rebekah said through the door.

"I suppose we mustn't be late. What with this being the day I'm meeting your mother and all," Enzo added.

"Oh mother's not coming," she replied, poking her head around the door.

He frowned.

"But she said-"

"-My mother says a lot of things. For example a year ago she said, that our father's death was an accident but who really believes that?" she exclaimed.

With that, Rebekah casually strolled out of the bathroom and leant in to place a chaste kiss on Enzo's cheek.

"Come on darling, let's try to get there before all the good booze is gone,"

She left Enzo alone in the room with a bewildered expression.

He shook his head, wondering exactly what he'd gotten himself into.


	5. Heart Resuscitation

**A/N:** Written due to having this prompt knocking around my head for a while; as a response to a prompt and also based off of a gifset by fircerebekah. Background Klaroline + Carenzo brotp.

 **1915**

 **9:30 pm**

Rebekah smoothed down her apron, nodding at a group of nurses standing together by the stairs. As she considered the last few weeks of her life, she allowed herself to be proud of the control she'd managed to exercise. Everywhere she turned, she was surrounded by copious amounts of blood. Blood in bags. Blood on sheets. Blood flecked against white walls. Blood spurting from limbs. Blood coating the muddied uniforms of wounded soldiers, the smell of it overpowering and pungent.

Still, despite this, Rebekah had managed to control her urges; rationing herself to three blood bags a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner respectively) and requesting to be transferred out of the emergency ward, thus decreasing the amount of gushing wounds she'd have to see on a regular basis.

Never had she dreamed that tending to the injured and sick in the midst of such a gruesome war would give her such fulfillment. It felt good, knowing that after centuries of taking lives, she could restore some balance by saving a few.

Of course, Niklaus had disapproved strongly, just as he had disapproved of Marcel's decision to join the soldiers in the trenches. But since - for once - he wasn't physically stopping her (i.e: twisting a dagger into her chest cavity) Rebekah resolved to ignore Klaus' taunts about her _foolhardy, sentimental heart_ and follow it anyway.

It had been a particularly grueling day. A fleet of fifteen men were rushed into her ward after an explosion went off in one of the battle grounds. This meant it was all hands on deck to try and undo some of the carnage. Rebekah stifled a yawn as she headed back to her regular ward, the squeaking of her nurse's shoes echoing through the corridor as she went. When she arrived, she paused momentarily to scan the row of beds, looking for one that didn't have a nurse stationed by it.

Her eyes landed on a dark-haired man in the far corner of the room. He was what one might describe as roguishly handsome and as Rebekah came closer, she noticed a slight shadow of stubble on his cheeks. A bandage was wound tight around his left arm.

As a woman who'd always been able to appreciate beauty when she saw it, she couldn't help but stare at the man as he slept - unprofessional though it was. She jumped in surprise as he began to stir, his eyes-rich, brown, and unfocused-meeting hers through hooded lids.

"Are you an angel?" he rasped, his accent distinctly British.

Rebekah smiled sweetly and shook her head, blonde curls bouncing underneath her nurse's cap.

"Far from it."

"You certainly look like one," he murmured with a smirk, his eyes having yet to settle completely on her.

"I'm sure you say that to all the nurses," Rebekah replied with an unimpressed scoff.

"Only if they're as delightful as you."

Despite his disoriented state, the soldier managed to shoot Rebekah a wink which earned him nothing but an eye roll.

"You can't blame a man for trying," he grinned. "A beautiful nurse standing over my bedside is quite the breath of fresh air after some of the things I've seen."

Seeing the momentary flicker of distress in his eyes, Rebekah's heart softened.

"That's over now," she said comfortingly, allowing her hand to rest gently over his. "You're safe here."

"Careful, love," the man hummed, lifting Rebekah's hand and placing a kiss against her knuckles "One touch and I could skyrocket into fever delirium."

Ignoring his laughter, she wrenched her arm free of his grip before he could finish his sentence.

"Name?" she demanded, picking up her clipboard.

"Whatever you'd like it to be sweetheart."

Rebekah huffed and searched until she located the brown folder that held all the patient documents.

"Lorenzo St John," she read out loud.

He stuck out his hand.

" _Enzo_. Pleased and honored to meet your acquaintance, Gorgeo-"

Due to Rebekah unceremoniously shoving a thermometer into his mouth, glaring as if she dared him to remove it, his eyes widened and he fell silent. He lay still, obedient, until she took it out herself to examine it.

"Well it appears you have a temperature," she mused, scribbling something on her clipboard.

"Told you. Just one touch was all it took."

"I'll be back," she said, ignoring him. "Try to get some rest."

"I didn't catch yours, gorgeous," he called after her.

Rebekah turned and frowned. "My what?"

"Your name."

"Nurse," she replied curtly before turning on her heel and exiting the room. Enzo's hearty laugh echoed down the corridor after her.

 **9:45 pm**

"Hello gorgeous."

Rebekah skirted around the neighboring bed and scowled, "Are you going to stop calling me that?"

"Depends," he shrugged. "Are you going to tell me your name? _Nurse_."

"No."

"Might I enquire as to why?"

"Because it's none of your business," Rebekah answered, flashing him a saccharine smile.

While Enzo pouted rather comically, she pretended to check the time on her pocketwatch.

"Hot date, sweetheart?" He smirked. "In that case, don't let me hold you up."

"Very funny," Rebekah tutted.

"I do my best." He shrugged, flashing her a lazy smile. "So, I have a proposition for you..."

"I'll save you some time. _No_."

"I'll guess your name and if I guess correctly, you have to tell me."

"No."

"Excellent!" he continued unfazed. "Now, let me see, your name is… Claire?"

Rebekah scoffed.

"Really? I was sure I was right, you do strike me as a Claire."

He frowned pensively and started at the stubble on his cheeks.

"Alright… er, let's see Louise? Emily? Cassandra? Julie? Joanne? Amanda?"

Rebekah's face remained impassive.

"Tatiana? Elizabeth?... Elena?"

"Hmph, hardly," she said. For some reason or another, Rebekah had always detested that name. Elena. _Yuck._

"Will you at least give me a clue?"

"No."

"You're a tough cookie to break," Enzo said smiling wryly. "Luckily, I enjoy a challenge."

Rebekah glared and almost retorted with some choice words of her own, but stopped herself when her Matron, Genevieve, appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Sister Rebekah!" she called.

"Yes, Matron?" she answered stiffly, allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

"When you've finished treating your patient, please come and find me in my office. I want to have a briefing session before the shift is over."

"Yes Matron."

Genevieve gave her a tight smile before tottering back down the hall.

"Ah, _Rebekah_ ," she heard Enzo hum, the syllables of her name gliding across his tongue. "How did I not guess that? A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

Rebekah shot him an irritated glance as she picked up her clipboard, but for the briefest of moments her lip quirked upward.

"At some point, or at some time," she said, "you're going to run out of pretty words to say."

Enzo smiled. As he did, Rebekah noticed for the first time the way his dimples cut into his cheeks. _Rather unfair_ , she thought, _for such a handsome man to be such a pain the_ arse.

"Don't tell me it's not working?"

"Not in the slightest," she answered with her nose lifted in the air, although her voice had lost the sharp edge to it.

 **10:05 pm**

"Hello again."

"Lorenzo," Rebekah replied casually. "How many nurses have you flirted with since I left?"

"Not a single one. I'm a very loyal man, you see," he winked.

Rebekah pressed her palm to his forehead. "You appear to be stable… physically anyhow," she added, causing Enzo to chuckle.

A short silence followed as she made up the empty bed beside him. Once she finished, she turned to arrange the pillows more comfortably behind his head.

There was a short silence as Rebekah began making the now empty bed beside him. When she'd finished that, she turned and began arranging the pillows behind his head. Enzo propped himself up on his elbows and regarded her seriously.

Rebekah frowned, feeling self conscious under his penetrating gaze. "What?"

"I'm curious about something..." Rebekah arched an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt. "What is someone as heavenly as you doing cleaning up sick and changing bedpans? I mean," Enzo continued, swallowing a laugh, "it's hardly the most glamorous job, sweetheart. Doesn't all the blood turn your stomach?"

"Being a nurse is a lot more glamorous than it looks."

"Oh, really? Perhaps I've missed something in my assessment?"

"Mhmm, the blood isn't so bad. I've…learnt to cope with it," Rebekah said. "Bedpan duty is for the new recruits and as the for the sick, if I'm lucky, most of the time the patient manages to aim the vomit in the other direction. And if not, I always keep an umbrella handy," she shrugged.

Enzo's eyes lit up as a stream of raucous laughter escaped him, gleeful that Rebekah had chosen to engage with him. His laughter was so infectious, Rebekah couldn't help but join him. However, the mirth soon died down as a cough racked through his chest, sending him panting and heaving for breath as his fingers gripped the side of his bed for support.

"Okay, okay, easy now," Rebekah offered soothingly. "It's going to be alright I promise." Placing a hand behind his head, she eased him back down onto the pillows.

The violent sputtering continued for several more minutes and attracted the attention of several other nurses, one of which took initiative and fetched Enzo a glass of water. Disgruntled, his face twisted as Rebekah brought the glass to his lips and encouraged him to take a sip.

"I don't sup-suppose you have any gin, do you?" Enzo wheezed, a half-hearted grin sliding across his lips.

"Hush," Rebekah said. "I need to take your temperature again."

"S'what usually works for me…"

While he sipped from the glass, Rebekah shook her head and sighed, displeased. "You're temperature's gone up again."

"I told you," he coughed, "you have that effect on me."

Cocking her head to the side, she examined the marked paleness of his features and the shallowness of his breathing and noted how different, how ill, he looked now compared to their first encounter. Despite the physical toll the coughing had taken on him, the exhaustion, Enzo still wore that familiar roguish grin.

"By the way," his eyes roamed her form appreciatively, "that uniform you're wearing? It's the stuff dreams are made of."

"Dirty bastard," Rebekah chided. "You've been spending too much time in the trenches with the rest of those potty-mouthed troops and have forgotten how to speak to a lady."

"You could be right." He sunk down onto the mattress. "Or perhaps I'm just inept at expressing myself properly?"

"For example, what I wanted to say," he said, "is that you're lovely...and the prospect of seeing you every half hour or so is the only thing that makes me want to keep going." He curled himself beneath his blanket. "The only thing."

Breath hitched in her throat at the sincerity of his words, but before Rebekah could respond, he released a low sigh and allowed his eyes to flutter shut. Before long, the gentle rumble resounded from his chest and a melodic snore filled the room.

 **10:26 pm**

"Tell me something you've never told anyone else." Enzo prodded as Rebekah changed the bandage on his wrist.

Rebekah considered him with a coy smile as she changed the bandage on his wrist. "I'm a vampire."

" _Now_ who's the comedian, gorgeous?" Enzo said with a chuckle.

Rebekah continued with her work dutifully until she felt Enzo's eyes burning holes into her forehead in anticipation of her answer.

"Why don't you go first?" she sighed.

"Mmm, well… let's see. When I was young, I once stole an entire bag of toffees from the shelf in a store. Right out from under the shopkeepers nose."

"Is that it?"

"What do you mean _is that it_? That's a secret I'd intended to carry to my grave!" Enzo protested, a hint of humor evident on his face.

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"You're not in a confessional with a priest! I don't want to hear about your childhood mischief, so either volunteer something real or forget it. I'm not taking this game seriously if you wont."

Enzo fell silent for a moment. His expression pensive.

"Alright," he said at last, "here's something real for you."

Rebekah lifted her head and met his eyes, showing him he had her full attention.

"It terrifies me."

"What does?"

"Death, dying. The finality of being gone I can deal with (I mean, it's not like many people would notice if I went missing, anyway), but it's the pain that gets me. It's knowing, beyond a doubt, that this is about to be it," he explained. "That everything you've done up until that moment-that _final_ , ticking moment of your life-is set in stone."

"It's the realization that you're out of time. That you have no more chances left to undo any of the mistakes you've made along the way, no threads left to start over. Or to begin anew. What I truly fear," he said, his tongue passing over his bottom lip, "is at the end of it all, at the end of _my_ life...all I'll have is nothing. I'll _have_ nothing and _be_ nothing but useless and insignificant-a prime nobody. I'm afraid I'll be a nobody who died in a pointless war."

Enzo rubbed a hand across his chin. He avoided eye contact.

"But, uh, you aren't supposed to admit any of that, right? That isn't brave. That isn't..." He laughed, but it came out hollow and weak. "That isn't what men do, is it?"

Rebekah leaned toward him slowly, then cupped his face in both hands. "What if you had the chance to start over? What if you were given an opportunity to live a life that wasn't being wasted?" she asked.

Enzo studied her, his gaze steady and sharp. "I'd snatch it," he answered huskily, "I'd grab it with both hands and never let it go."

A short nurse, flustered and covered in blood, appeared at the end of the hall at that moment and halted their conversation.

"Sister!" she gasped at Rebekah. "You're needed."

 **11:50 pm**

Taking the familiar route back down the hall, Rebekah checked her pocket watch again, only then realizing how long she'd been gone. When with Enzo it was as if she didn't feel time, it was so easy for Rebekah to forget the war going on around her.

With another emergency, all the nurses in the division were on-call to treat the hordes of wounded soldiers trickling in from the newest battle. Rebekah let out a sigh of exhaustion (which was more emotional than physical). She spotted Edith, a tall, willowy nurse who had been stationed on her ward for the past few weeks down the way. Edith was attractive and blonde like Rebekah, except her hair was more of a white-ish/silvery colour and she wore it in looser curls.

Edith was also a bit of a gossip and everyone knew it. Which, ironically, was part of the reason Rebekah liked her so much.

"Hey there! I've been meaning to catch up with you lately, It's such a shame that we run into each other for the first time in _days_ during all this chaos," she said as she gestured behind her.

"It is a pity, isn't it?" Rebekah answered, allowing herself to be lulled into the small talk. "War is such an unfortunate thing,"

"Speaking of unfortunate, I am so sorry about your patient, Becks," she drawled in her New York twang. "Ain't it a shame? It's always the handsome one's."

"What?" Rooted to the spot, her voice cracked. "What do you mean?",

"Oh, you haven't heard yet? He took a nasty turn while you were gone, pretty awful chest infection he's got there. Matron doesn't think he'll live through the night."

By the Edith finished speaking, Rebekah was already zipping down the corridor towards her ward, cursing the fact that she hadn't had time to compel the chatty girl and vamp-speed to Enzo's bedside.

When she finally reached him, her heart sank in her stomach. His face was drawn, his eyes were rimmed in blueish black dark circles, his cheeks were gaunt, and large beads of sweat ran down his forehead as he shivered beneath the bed linen. He was worse than she'd expected. How long _had_ she been gone? An hour? Maybe two? No more than that, surely.

He forced his quivering limbs to still as she approached, attempting to look composed. Rebekah drew up the blanket and tucked it under his chin, then swiped cold compresses across his forehead in an effort to lower his fever. But she knew it was fruitless. Although she hadn't been a nurse for long, she knew a dying man when she saw one.

"This is it, isn't it?" he asked, blinking back moisture from the corner of his eyes.

"Hush. You're going to be fine. I'll have this temperature down by the morning," she promised, the lie in her voice discernible.

"I can tell you don't like games. Neither do I," he sighed, his eyes hardening, "so give it to me straight, alright? You're honest. You always have been with me, that's what I like about you."

"There's a chance-"

He held up his hand, interrupting her. "Come on, gorgeous, I'm a big boy. I can handle it. Now tell me the truth," he said, "I'm dying, aren't I?"

Rebekah bowed her head in an effort to avoid his gaze, surprising herself when a large tear dropped from her eyelashes and slid down her cheek.

"Now, now, none of that," Enzo said, reaching up to catch it on his pinky finger and swiping it away. "Those of us who are still young, gorgeous, and living, have no reason to cry."

Rebekah let out a laugh despite herself, choking on the hot tears that'd suddenly lodged in her throat.

He grabbed her hand. The action was tender and comforting, similar to how she had calmed him only hours- though it felt longer- ago. "Tell me your thing," he insisted.

"What-what thing?" she half-hiccuped.

"Tell me the one thing you've never told anyone else, not a single soul...what is it? I want to know."

Before Rebekah could reply, Enzo launched into another coughing fit. Loud hacks and wheezes jerked his upper body and tiny spurts of blood flew out of his throat, causing him to gurgle and choke. Unable to catch his breath.

"Easy! Easy!" Rebekah implored.

"Tell. Me."

"Okay, okay. I- uh…"

"There has to be s-something," he gritted out.

Before she knew what she was doing or what she was saying, she blurted, "I'm afraid.

His forehead crinkled in concern, in confusion? It was difficult to tell.

"I'm terrified of ending up alone. I'm constantly surrounded by people and voices and bodies, so many tasks and responsibilities that I'm rarely granted two seconds for myself….and yet...and yet, I'm so desperately, hopelessly _lonely_. And I've felt this way for such a long, long time…but maybe this is what I deserve?"

"Stop."

"God, you can't begin to _imagine_ all of the horrible things I've done," Rebekah continued, not hearing him, "so maybe this is my penance. Maybe...maybe my punishment is to be alone forever?"

"Stop it. No pity parties, remember?" Enzo said, his voice resolved yet imploring. "You deserve the world, gorgeous, and if I had the strength to lift myself out of this bed without help right now, I'd sure as hell find a way to give it to you."

At the end of his speech, Enzo lurched forward again. His entire chest constricted as harsh coughs split through him like a saw and robbed him of speech. And of breath. Rebekah's mind whirled with thoughts as she eased him back down onto the bed.

 _She shouldn't._

 _No, it was crazy. Risky. Impulsive._

 _Niklaus would be sure to find him-kill him-as soon as he discovered the truth of what she'd done. But what was the alternative? What other choice did she have?_

"Gorgeous?"

"Listen to me," Rebekah said in a low voice. She leaned over his bedside and peered into his face, "You have a choice, alright? It doesn't have to end this way, you...you don't have to die."

"What do you-" As spidery, ink-coloured veins crawled beneath her eyes and her sharp fangs punctured the delicate skin on her wrist, Enzo gasped and recoiled in horror. "What's going on? Who... _what_ are you?" he stuttered.

"Shhh! We don't have much time," Rebekah hissed. "Or rather, you don't."

She extended her bleeding wrist to him, but he gaped. Staring at it with a mixture of confusion and alarm.

"You have a choice: either die of a chest infection in this tiny hospital bed as another number, as just another soldier fighting for Queen and Country or Uncle Sam or whoever; or, you can live," she said. "If you choose it, if you accept, I can heal you right here, right now with my blood...and you can leave this place. You can go anywhere, do anything you want…"

"For the sake of argument," Enzo interrupted, rubbing a hand across his eyes as if trying to wipe away a feverish hallucination, "let's say I believe you. Let's say I think you _are_ capable of healing me with your magic, cure-all blood...but then what?"

"Where would I go, what would I do? Forgive the cynicism, sweetheart, but I'm poor as dirt and the military has my paycheck in reserve, so dying seems like the most viable option for me under the circumstances, wouldn't you agree?" he said.

"There is a third option."

"Tell me."

Rebekah winced as she forced the words from her mouth, "You can live forever. Like me, you can be strong and ageless and-"

"A vampire. I could be a vampire," Enzo murmured, realization and understanding now dawning over him.

"You can feel and experience all that the world has to offer, drowning your senses in everything you never thought you'd see. Hear. Taste."

Enzo's head spun and spun with possibilities, the room tilting and blurring his vision in cloudy pink as Rebekah hovered above him like a kaleidoscope and tore into her wrist again with teeth.

"There isn't any time!" she exclaimed. "Take it. Take the blood or die."

"I want it to be over," he replied.

Rebekah's hurt sunk. She wasn't sure what response she'd been expecting, but it wasn't that one.

"I-I can't live this way anymore." He sounded tired. His voice grew weaker and weaker, and pretty soon it would fade out all together. "I don't want this life."

She withdrew her hand and nodded, "I understand."

"Let me rephrase that," he breathed, "I don't want to just survive anymore. I want, I want to _live_."

Rebekah's eyes widened. "Are you saying-?"

"How bad does blood taste exactly?" Enzo asked as his eyes fluttered shut.

"Oh, God! Oh, God! Lorenzo...drink!" Rebekah pleaded desperately, shoving her wrist into his mouth and propping him up in her arms. "Come on, you handsome bloody idiot! _Drink_."

Just as she considered all to be lost, she felt Enzo's head stir ever so slightly against her chest.

He drank. And drank. Slowly at first, and then with urgency. As he did, colour restored to his face and his lungs cleared. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. That being said, a little nagging voice inside Enzo's head craved more-and despite his better judgment-he latched hard and clung tight onto Rebekah's promise of forever.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"Now, you start the rest of your life; now, you get your freedom. Try not to waste it," Rebekah whispered. Her voice was the last thing he heard before the world went black.

 **Present Day. New Orleans, Louisiana.**

"That has to be the most bizarre story I have ever heard!" Caroline exclaimed.

She removed her hands from the steering wheel for the billionth time to gesture dramatically and Enzo winced. He adamantly regretted his decision to let her drive the rest of the way to New Orleans.

"No backseat driving."

"I wouldn't have to backseat drive if you were capable of _actual_ driving," he shot back, jetting backwards when Caroline's balled fist landed hard against his chest.

"Seriously!? How is it that every vampire I manage to befriend has a mysterious past with an evil blonde Original who hates me? Ugh!"

"That's a little harsh, love."

"To hell it is!" Caroline bristled. "You have your version of Rebekah: the floating angel who saved you; and I have mine: the evil bloodslut who tried to _ruin_ my life."

"And yet, here you are," Enzo hummed, "going off in the same direction as I am in search for her equally (if not more) diabolical older brother."

She stiffened.

"I have my… reasons for going to New Orleans to find Klaus. I told you it's-"

" _Complicated,_ " he nodded, "right. It's fine, Caroline, you don't need to explain the intricate, complexities of love to me. All I'm saying is let's dial down the judgement a tad shall we?" he suggested.

Caroline flashed him a sheepish look before proceeding to run a stop sign. The fifth one so far. Enzo sighed softly, deciding not to mention it in the hopes that they wouldn't be stopped again. He'd already compelled four officers away on this road trip, but he was growing peckish and a fifth one wouldn't be so lucky to get away untasted.

A long, peaceful silence fell between them for a while and Enzo took the opportunity to gaze out the window and marvel at the scenery (fleeting, though, for Caroline was going at least 60 mph) while he reflected on the words he'd been rehearsing to say to Rebekah for decades now.

 _You saved my life. For that, I can never repay you._

"Aren't you scared?" Caroline asked, abruptly breaking the silence and pulling Enzo from his thoughts.

"I know what you told me about your big, bad hybrid friend, and a lesser man than me might be intimidated." He flexed his muscles playfully, which earned him an eyeroll. "But something tells me I can take him," he said.

Caroline gave him an unimpressed huff and shook her head.

"The issue of whether or not Klaus will allow you to keep you head did cross my mind, but that's not what I was talking about. It's only that-" She paused. Bit her bottom lip. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"I mean, after everything you told me, what if we get there and…"

She trailed off, either unable or unwilling to finish her sentence.

"What if I get there and she wants nothing to do with me?" he said for her. "What if she doesn't remember that I exist or if I've concocted some crazy, unrealistic fantasy of her in my head? What if she's in love with someone else? Or, what if the moment our eyes meet again she regrets turning me and rips my heart from my chest? What if after all this time I learn that the whole _vampire thing_ was nothing but a big, fat lie and she's actually aged horribly and-"

" _Enzo_ ," Caroline scolded, wanting him to be serious.

He sighed.

"These are all questions I've gone over in my head about a million times, Caroline."

She flashed him a quizzical look as they continued to speed down the highway, "If you know all of this, then why risk it?"

"That's the thing about hope," he said with a laugh. "It can trick you into all sorts of hilarious, unrealistic scenarios."

Caroline still look unconvinced, so he continued.

"When I was a child, my parents kicked me out and sent me to the workhouse as soon as I could walk. I was poor and didn't have many friends. I joined the army to become something, to be a part of something bigger than myself, to feel as if I was doing something _worthwhile_ with my life…but all I got for my efforts was a broken hand, a bullet to my ribcage, and a deadly cold from being drenched to the bone. I was alone and insignificant and dying."

"You know me as I am now, Caroline," he continued, shaking his head. "But when I was lying in that hospital bed all those years ago, I had _nothing_. Nothing at all. Rebekah showed me that there was something out there beyond poverty, beyond the slow descent into alcoholism that other soldiers like me would slide into after the war. She gave me a _life_."

"And I'm better now because of it," he said. "Stronger. Smarter."

"Yeah, but now you're also a blood-sucking monster who feeds off innocent human flesh," Caroline pointed out.

He shrugged. "Pot and Kettle, love."

"The difference with me is that I didn't _ask_ to be turned; it was out of my control entirely! You, on the other hand-" Caroline chanced him a sideways glance, not quite disapproving but perhaps a little questioning; judgmental, "-you practically sold your soul to the devil gift-wrapped!" she said.

"My, you really do have a flair for the dramatics, don't you?" Enzo chuckled.

"I'm only looking out for you." Her voice was soft, her expression concerned. "I don't to see you get hurt, that's all.

"And I appreciate that, but here's the thing," Enzo explained, "it's been nearly 140 years. That's 113 I wouldn't have had if Rebekah had never intervened."

"I don't want to date her, Caroline-" he paused, hope and resolve flickering in his eyes "-I want to thank her."

 **New Orleans, The French Quarter.**

The place was everything and nothing like Caroline had expected. They'd picked a good time to come to the city, for Mardi Gras was fast approaching and the French Quarter boomed with music and bright colours as tourists roamed the streets in search of excitement.

If their source was to be believed, they drew close to the Mikaelson mansion. Caroline felt bile rise in her stomach as she and Enzo continued to progress through the streets, knowing all the things he'd said in the car rang true for her, too. _What if this was a mistake and Klaus didn't want to see her? Or what if he'd long forgotten the promise he'd made to her those years ago?_

She shot her friend a look, curious to see if he shared any of her apprehension, but his expression was tranquil. Annoyingly so. Then again, looks could be deceiving.

A few twists and turns later and they stood outside a grandiose residence tucked away at the end of a long stretch of road.

 _Typical Klaus_ , Caroline thought. _Of course he wouldn't live in a house of normal proportions. Figures._

"Are you ready for this?" Enzo asked.

"About as ready as I'll ever be," she said.

 **The Mikaelson Mansion, The French Quarter**

Unsurprisingly, Klaus apprehended them as soon as their feet crossed the threshold. He pounced on Enzo, who crossed into his line of vision first, and pressed him against the wall in a choke hold demanding to know why he was trespassing on his property. Caroline fought an eye roll. She cleared her throat, making her presence known.

"Caroline?"

"Hello Klaus," she replied nonchalantly despite the tightness in her chest. "I should've known the next time I saw you you'd attempt to murder yet _another_ one of my friends."

Snapping out of his blind rage, he released his grip on Enzo's neck, allowing him to collapse onto the ground with a loud _thud_. He stalked towards Caroline as if in a disbelieving trance.

"To be fair, sweetheart," he smirked, "you always did have the most unfortunate taste in friends."

The sight of him before her stirred feelings in the pit of her stomach. Feelings that, on previous occasions, she would have shoved down or away in stubborn denial-but she was done with all that now. She'd had a long time to think about what she wanted.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she realised that both Klaus and Enzo stared at her...waiting. Waiting for her to say something. Anything.

The courage Caroline had mustered during the drive slowly began to evaporate. Smiling nervously, she gestured at Enzo, "I did tell him that he should probably wait in the car," she said.

Enzo glared, still rubbing his bruised neck, as Klaus flashed before her with an intensity in his expression that made her shiver. "Why have you come?" he asked in a whisper.

"Is there...is there somewhere we can talk?"

This trip had seemed so much better in theory. But in practise, it was _terrifying_. For, standing before her was Klaus: the living representation of everything she'd never allowed herself to have. Expectant yet curious, he looked conflicted as he considered the accompanying male by her side. (Most likely pondering the reason for his trespassing)

"Enzo's with me." He stiffened at this. She shook her head, reading his mind, and continued, "No, not _with_ me, with me. He's here because...well...it's actually a pretty long and complicated story but-"

"You wouldn't happen to know where I can find Rebekah, would you?" Enzo cut in, having found the strength - or the courage - to rise to his feet.

Klaus' expression darkened. "What could you possibly want with my sister?"

"Like the lady said," he answered, "it's _complicated_."

Klaus growled at his insolence. Caroline fretted as he advanced, racking her brains in an effort to find a solution to diffuse the situation before it escalated into more murderous directions.

"Niklaus," a voice drifted from the staircase, "I heard voices, what is-"

Rebekah, clad in eight-inch heels, khaki shorts, and a white chiffon blouse, halted in the middle of the stairs. Gaping. "Lorenzo?"

Silence lingered for what felt like hours and the air thickened with tension, with things that had been left unsaid for far too long.

"Hello Gorgeous," he said at last.

Caroline felt the interjection ready to burst from Klaus' lips as he glared venomously between the couple, so she tugged the sleeve of his Henley and fixed him with wide, puppy dog eyes (a distractionary tactic she'd always found to be useful). "Klaus," she purred as she dragged him from the room, "how about that talk now, hm?"

Once alone, an eerie muteness stretched out between Rebekah and Enzo as they faced one another. It was Rebekah who first cut into the soundlessness, her face the colour of a sheet.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sounding breathless, like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Now isn't that the question." He expelled a shaky, humorless laugh and took a cautious step forward, afraid that moving too fast would spook her.

"It's funny," he said, "I've spent over a century attempting to figure out what I wanted to say to you, but seeing you here, in front of me now I…"

"How did you find me?"

"The wonders of technology. Word of mouth." He gestured vaguely. "Does it matter?"

Rebekah circled him, all the all the while maintaining a safe distance between them. "It's been over a century. Why now? Why track me down now, out of the blue like this?" she asked.

"Funny thing about vampirism," he quipped, "it comes with certain complications. Most of which you failed to warn me about."

"So this is revenge? You're holding a grudge against me for saving your life?" Her gaze narrowed. "I think you've conveniently forgotten about the choice I gave you, Lorenzo."

Enzo took another calculated step towards Rebekah, this time causing her to quail in response.

"You mistake me, sweetheart. I am not here for revenge," he said, "I am here to thank you."

She smiled ever so slightly. "I appreciate that."

"If you hadn't found me, I would have died. You gave me back purpose and I came here to let you know how much that meant to me, how much _you_ mean to me. After all this time."

"Well, I certainly hope you took my advice and haven't wasted what was given to you?" she countered, her breathing normalizing.

He grinned. "Not a single second have I wasted."

Tenuously, Rebekah edged toward him until her palm ghosted over his cheek. Although she smiled, her eyes were tinged with sadness.

"You haven't changed," she whispered.

She lingered for a moment and then took a step back, as if realising her mistake. "You shouldn't have come."

"I beg your pardon?" Enzo blinked.

"I said, you shouldn't have come. This was a mistake! You-you finding me was a mistake."

"I don't understand-"

"You should leave," she interjected. "You should go, Lorenzo. You should leave now"

Without any further explanation, Rebekah flashed away, leaving Enzo alone in the foyer.

Klaus sighed impatiently. Caroline had her ear pressed up against the door and one eye squinted shut in concentration.

"Sweetheart, I thought the entire object of you and I coming up here was to discuss your sudden appearance in my city?"

"Oh, grow up Klaus," Caroline said with a scoff. "I only came here to give those two some privacy while I eavesdropped."

Klaus muttered something about _shenanigans going on under his roof_ , until she shushed him with a frantic wave of the hand.

"What is going on down there!?"

"If the the sound of my sister's expensive Louboutins shuffling up the stairs is anything to go by, I'd say the conversation is over," he mused with disinterest.

Caroline's eyes widened. She wrenched open the door just as Rebekah moved down the hall and said, "What the hell happened?"

"That's hardly any of your business."

Rebekah attempted to sidestep her, but found her path blocked.

"Where's Enzo?"

She shrugged. "Gone I assume."

"Gone?" Caroline gaped.

"My goodness, don't tell me you really are as stupid as you look! Yes, _gone_."

"Why!? What did you say to him?"

Rebekah sighed as she maneuvered past her, "Lorenzo came here looking for someone who doesn't exist anymore. I did him a favor."

"You're a coward." Caroline hurled the word like an arrow at her back, stopping Rebekah in her tracks.

"What did you just bloody say to me?!" she accused, her voice growing shrill.

"Don't you remember all the time and energy you spent trying to rip Stefan and Elena apart in Mystic Falls so you could have him all to yourself? Or how you spent an entire _year_ stealing my life in order to live out some contrived high school experience you never had? Or what about when you put all of our lives in danger because you wanted the cure all for yourself?"

"All of this you did in the name of happiness, right? And where did it get you?" Caroline asked, her gaze sharp and her words biting. " _Where_?"

"Enzo's a good guy," she continued. "He's a good guy who's been pining for you for over a century. You'd be _lucky_ to have a guy like him in your life, okay? Damn lucky."

"You want to know why you're a coward, Rebekah?" Caroline took a step forward and peered straight and hard into her face. "You're a coward because a chance at real happiness stood right in front of you and you let him waltz right out of your life. You let him walk away."

"You know _nothing_ about me Caroline Forbes! Nothing about _us_!" Rebekah seethed.

Caroline squared her shoulders and raised her chin defiantly. "Maybe I know more than you think,"

 **5:15 pm, Somewhere in the French Quarter.**

He'd been wandering the streets of New Orleans for about an hour now. Of course, it was only after traveling four blocks that he'd remembered that he left the car keys with Caroline. He was stuck.

 _Typical._

Taking a kick at a bottle lying near his feet, Enzo cursed himself for being so stupid. Of course Rebekah wanted nothing to do with him! What'd he expect? He was nothing but a poor soldier lying on his deathbed who she'd taken pity on in a moment of weakness. He was nothing to her. She was a vampire, vampires did not feel; they did not love.

No matter, Mardi Gras would drown his sorrows with its booze and tourists-both to be drunk.

"Lorenzo?"

His name sounded faint on those lips. The voice calling him was painfully familiar (a sound that had haunted his thoughts for over a hundred years now) and yet, he ignored it. He pretended he didn't hear it. He was deaf.

"Lorenzo!" the voice called again. "Please, I know it's you. I know you can hear me."

Rebekah sighed with relief as Enzo finally stopped and turned, but her gut wrenched when she saw the expression on his face.

"Come to make sure you'd gotten rid of me, I see?" Don't worry, gorgeous," he said, his tone hard, "I'm leaving. I just need to make sure Caroline's okay first."

Rebekah shoved down the burning questions that sprang to mind about Caroline and her relation to Enzo to explain herself instead.

"I came to apologize," she blurted with an exhale of breath. "How I behaved...I-I shouldn't have treated you like that. It was rude, and I'm sorry."

"Was there anything else?" he replied cooly.

"Yes, actually." Rebekah paused, looking away. "I'm sorry, Lorenzo, but I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"What do you mean?"

"You came all this way to find me...why?"

"I told you why," Enzo answered.

"Just to thank me?"

He inhaled deeply.

"Do you remember what you told me all those decades ago? Your deepest confession?" he asked. "You told me what you feared most was that you'd end up on your own, all alone. Is that still true?"

Rebekah shifted uncomfortably, "Eternity is a long time," she sighed.

"It is, isn't it?"

"Tell me something-" he slid his hands into his jean pockets "-why did you come after me?"

"I-I didn't want things to end this way, I suppose. I didn't want you to walk away and hate me," Rebekah answered bashfully.

Without either of them realising it, they had drifted nearer. Close enough to touch.

"I could never hate you, gorgeous."

Rebekah felt a familiar surge of affection brewing in her chest.

"Look," she started, "I'm not the angel you think I am I-"

"I'm certain of it," Enzo cut in with a smirk.

Rebekah smiled demurely. "You really haven't changed at all, have you?"

He gazed at her fondly for a moment.

"Look, I'm not saying we should find a chapel and get hitched. I'm saying…" He paused and gazed at her fondly for a moment. "I'm saying, maybe get to know me? Take some time to see the man that I've become?" he suggested.

"And then, after that, if you _still_ can't stand me you're perfectly within your rights to run for the hills."

"That's a reasonable request I suppose," she nodded, reining in her amusement. "But you need to stop looking at me like that if we decide to go steady."

"Looking at you like what?" Enzo asked pretending to be aghast.

"Like. That." Rebekah insisted, removing what little space there was between them to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Can't help it," he murmured. "You're still the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever seen."

Without wasting any more time, Rebekah closed the gap between them entirely by brushing her lips against his in a slow, tender kiss that left him lightheaded. Enzo planned to savour this moment, the one that he'd dreamt of for a large portion of his life, but his ardor got the better of him as he pulled Rebekah harder against him and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"You should consider yourself lucky. I don't wear down a perfectly good pair of heels on these streets searching for just anyone," she said when they drew back.

"Oh trust me," Enzo beamed, "I consider myself the luckiest man in the world."

 _Fin._


End file.
